The 50 Must-Know Health & Fitness Tips To Get Your Best Body, Part 5

Happy Friday!! And happy Earth Day too! Take one of my tips earlier in the week and go out for a walk or run outside today. ???? Hope you’ve been reading and enjoying all my tips this week, this is the last part!

Hang On – When I first started training, it was difficult for me to do a pull-up, not going to lie. But just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use the bar. Just hanging onto it for as long as possible will improve your upper-body strength.

Memorize a Mantra – Don’t be shy about giving yourself a pep talk! A study showed that some motivational quotes (even if they’re cheesy… as long as you like them) actually reduce the feeling of tiredness or aches.

Find a Fit Friend – I love working out with a buddy because it keeps you accountable and motivated. You may also spend more time at the gym if you have a workout partner. A survey showed that those who exercise with other people tend to work out six minutes longer than the solo gym-goers. It just makes it more fun to have a buddy, too, especially if you’re taking a class!

Heart Your Trainer – Look around and find an instructor that really motivates you. This could be a gym class instructor or a fitness instructors’ videos (search online!)

Melt Fat on the Mat – I think a lot of people know that I love yoga. You don’t even have to do power yoga or hot yoga to see results. Restorative yoga, which focuses on relaxing and stress-reducing movements, actually burns more subcutaneous fat than stretching does. There was a study that had a group of people doing yoga at least once a month and another group only stretching, and at the end of the year, the yogis lost an average of 3 pounds, which was almost double the amount of the group that only stretched. So don’t feel like you have to go for the really athletic yoga class.

Don’t Stress! – Speaking of stress, here are some more ways to relieve it.

Be True to Yourself – It’s good if you can take up good habits, but you know yourself the best. If you think changing something just because it’s a good habit won’t help you in the long run, don’t do it. What I mean by that, for example, is that I found out recently that working out in the morning is the most beneficial time. However, if you’re not a morning person and you feel like you will be more likely to just press the snooze button instead of getting up for the run, then just stick with your evening gym routine.

Rest Against Weight Gain – Make sure you get the right amount of sleep each night, which is about seven to nine hours. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body is going to get hungry and try to get its fuel from food!

Scale Back – Don’t use the scale! My mom taught me never to use the scale because then you start obsessing over a number that may not really mean anything. Instead, put on a pair of well-fitting pants and see how you feel in them.

Start from the Ground Up – Make sure you have the proper footwear when you’re running, especially since the wrong kind of shoes can lead to injury. For winter runs, find sneakers that have EVA and that is waterproof and windproof.